1
: the act of keeping awake at times when sleep is customary
also
: a period of wakefulness
2
: an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night
a candlelight vigil
kept vigil at her bedside
3
a
: a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast with prayer or other devotions
b
: the day before a religious feast observed as a day of spiritual preparation
c
: evening or nocturnal devotions or prayers
—usually used in plural
Examples of vigil in a Sentence
kept vigil at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital
Recent Examples on the Web
Helen Cornell, Mackenzie’s aunt, talked to NBC affiliate WSAZ about the tragic accident while attending a vigil at the Bloom-Vernon Elementary School on Monday, June 3.
—
Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
In Hong Kong, once a beacon of commemorative freedom, the massive June 4 annual vigil that mourned the victims for decades has vanished, a casualty of the city’s clampdown on dissidents following huge anti-government protests in 2019.
—Kanis Leung and Tian MacLeod Ji, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024
In 2020, Chinese authorities ordered Zoom, an American tech firm with a development team in China, to suspend the accounts of U.S.-based activists commemorating June 4 and to cancel online vigils hosted on the platform.
—Christopher K. Tong, The Conversation, 31 May 2024
The community previously hosted at least two vigils to raise awareness of her disappearance.
—Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for vigil 
Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
In Hong Kong, once a beacon of commemorative freedom, the massive June 4 annual vigil that mourned the victims for decades has vanished, a casualty of the city’s clampdown on dissidents following huge anti-government protests in 2019.
—Kanis Leung and Tian MacLeod Ji, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024
In 2020, Chinese authorities ordered Zoom, an American tech firm with a development team in China, to suspend the accounts of U.S.-based activists commemorating June 4 and to cancel online vigils hosted on the platform.
—Christopher K. Tong, The Conversation, 31 May 2024
The community previously hosted at least two vigils to raise awareness of her disappearance.
—Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for vigil
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vigil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vigil
Cite this Entry
“Vigil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vigil. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vigil
noun
vig·il
ˈvij-əl 
1
a
: the day before a religious feast
b
: prayers or religious services held in the evening or at night
—usually used in plural
2
: an act or period of staying awake at times when one normally would be sleeping
an all-night vigil spent awaiting her return
3
: an act or period of attentive watching : watch
kept vigil at the bedside of his ill son
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